Sheet feeding apparatus



April 6, 1943. A. NOVICK SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 194i 4 Sheets-Sheet l 5 m w w V V0 T m Maw h m D A D 1943. A. NOVICK 2,315,646

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS 4': slums-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1941 INVENTOR Abra/7am Nov/ck BY w? 2% ATTORNEYS mwmm 2,315,646

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 3s N D m (a INVENTOR Abra/7am Nov/ck A T TbRA/E Y5 1 April '6, 1943. A. NOVICK 2,3

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ZNVENTOR Abra/7am Nov/ck ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Abraham N ovick, Flushing, N. Y., asslgnor to F. L. Smithe Machine 00., Inc., New York, N. Y.. a corporation of New York Application January 21, 1941, Serial No. 375,227

18 Claims.

for deflection from the second sheet, engagement by suitable gripping means and withdrawal from the stack. During such withdrawal the second sheet and the adjacent part of the stack may be held in place by a retaining device engaging the edge or corner of the stack and extending along the otherwise unsupported edges ofthe lower sheets, thereby facilitating the withdrawal of the bottom sheet while preventing the superposed sheets from shifting endwise.

It has been found, however, that with certain types of sheet material and of sheet-withdrawing mechanism the portion of the second sheet in register with the bottom support has a tendency to shift with the bottom sheet as the latter is withdrawn, thereby causing the free portion of the second sheet to buckle between the end of the bottom support and the retaining device at the stack edge, and to project from the stack when such retaining device is withdrawn, thereby interfering with the operation of the feeding mechanism.

, The principal purpose of this invention is to provide means for preventing the second sheet from shifting endwise when the bottom sheet is withdrawn. This is in general accomplished by providing retaining means bearing against such unsupported portion of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet, arranged to keep the second sheet from buckling and thereby to prevent the endwise shifting of the second sheet.

Since it is necessary to locate a substantial number of devices and members immediately adjacent the unsupported portion of the bottom sheet, such as means for initially deflecting the edge of said sheet, means for thereafter bending the free portion of such sheet away from the second sheet. means for gripping said portion and withdrawing the sheet from the stack, and retaining means engaging the free edge of the stack, the introduction of an additional device arranged to engage said free portion of the second sheet presents serious mechanical problems of construction and arrangement, the solution of which is a feature of the invention. Specifically, the means for holding the second sheet against buckling and endwise shifting is advantageously provided in the form of a thin, flat member positioned and shifted in a plane generally parallel to the sheets in the stack, whereby the member may be shifted into and out of operative posi tion in minimum space and without interfering with adjacent portions of the apparatus.

A further feature is the provision of a device of the indicated type which may be readily incorporated in and attached to existing sheet feed- 7 ing apparatus. 7

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following descriptionconsidered in conjunction with ing drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevational viewof a sheet feedthe accompanying apparatus embodying the invention;

. Fig. 2 isa transverse vertical sectional view through said apparatus on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of said apparatus in ,a direction normal to the sheets in the stack; and

Figs. 4 to 8 arediagrammatic side elevational views of successive stages in the separation and withdrawal of the bottom sheet and the retention of the second sheet in position on the stack.

The specific embodiment of the invention disclosed herein constitutes asheet feeding mechanism which may be employed in connection with various types of apparatus, such as envelope making machines, and is adapted to be actuated by the usual drive mechanism of such machines. It may be employed, for instance, in the con struction illustrated in my application Serial No. 327,967, filed April 5, 1940, for Sheet feeding mechanism.

In the present embodiment the stack III of sheets, such as envelope blanks, is engaged at one edge by support rods II fitting in the angles formed at the junctions of the side flaps with the sealing flaps of the envelope blanks. The lower end of the stack rests against the table I2 which extends only partially across the bottom of the stack, advantageously engaging about the lower half of the bottom blank I3. Rods I I and table I2 are tilted slightly so that the stack I0 bears against the table I2 and the lowermost sheet I3 is maintained in contact with said table.

The upper free portion of the bottom sheet I3 is deflected and brought into position for engagement by the withdrawing mechanism by means of suction picker I 4, comprising a metal tube I5 having its lower end position curved toward the stack and terminating in a fiat face I6 (Fig. 5) arranged to bear against the bottom sheet I3, and a face I! inclined away from the bottom sheet and provided with a suction opening I8. The upper end of tube I5 is connected through flexible hose I9 to a suitable source of suction through appropriate valve mechanism of standard type arranged to place the picker alternately in oommunication with a source of suction and with the atmosphere at appropriate points in the operating cycle.

rock shaft 22 Joumaled in the elongated bearing bracket 23 mounted on th frame 24, shaft 22 carrying at its opposite end rock arm 25 provided with a slot 26 engaged by crank pin 21 on crank 28 fixed to shaft 28 journaled in the outer ends of rock arms 38, the inner ends of which are pivotally mounted on studs 3| on the frame 24. The outer end of each rock arm 38 carries an adjusting screw 82 bearing on an abutment 33 on the frame 24, and is biased downwardly by spring 84, thereby maintaining shaft 24 in adjustable upwardly yielding position.

A stack retaining device 38 engaging the corner or edge of the stack at the free margin of the bottom sheet I3 may be provided for controlling the upper margins of the blanks at the delivery end of the stack when the picker I4 is not in engagement with the stack, it being understood that under certain conditions retainer 38 may be dispensed with, and a sheet separator of the usual type may be employed. The retaining device 38 comprises a finger or blade 33 arranged to extend along the marginal portion of the exposed lower face of the end sheet or blank I3, and a hold-down finger or plate having a sheet-engaging section 48 adapted to bear against the upper edges of the blanks in stack I8 adjacent th bottom blank I3, and a slide section 42 held in suitable adjusted position by clamp screw 43 threaded into blade 38.

Suitable means is provided for shifting the stack retaining device 38 into and out of operative position. In the form illustrated blade 38 is fixed to a square slide' bar 44 slidable in a guideway in bracket 48 fixed to a hanger 41 on bearing bracket 23. Drive pin 48 on bar 4415 engaged by fork 48 on rock arm 88 fixed on rock shaft 8| journaled in hangers 41 and carrying a rock arm 58 provided with a roller 58 engaging cam 88 on shaft 28. Arm 88 includes a tailpiece 82 (Fig. 2) biased upwardly by spring 48 and engaging stop screw 83, threaded through stop arm 84 n bracket 81 and locked in adjusted position by nut 88. with this arrangement the lower most position of arm 44 can be adjusted by turning screw 83.

Suitable means is provided for gripping the upper portion of the bottom blank I3, withdrawing said blank from the stack I8 and advancing it to a conveyor or operating device, the nature of which is not involved in this invention. The arrangement illustrated includes two feed segments 88 fixed on shaft 28 at either side of the stack retaining device 38, and cooperating feed rolls 88. Blanks advanced by segments 83 and feed rolls 68 travel over a table 81 and are fed by rollers 88 and 18 onto chain belts 88 guided by sprockets 880., the blanks being held against the belts by the presser roll 18 and hold-down bars 1|. Feed rolls 88 and 88, as well as: shaft 28 carrying feed segments 85, are driven in appropriate directions by suitable drive means including gears 12, 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d. I

A second sheet retaining device is mounted on the feeding apparatus, arranged and actuated to bear against the portion of the second blank 13 located between the upper edge of the table I2 and the stack retaining device 88 during withdrawal of the bottom blank I3 (Fig. 8) to prevent shifting and buckling of the second blank 18, and is retracted after withdrawal of the bottom blank to permit the necessary engagement by the picker I4 with such second blank which has now become the bottom blank. This is advantawidth of second sheet 13, and advantageously is less than half the width of said sheet.

Suitable mechanism for thus actuating shovel 14 is provided. In the form illustrated shovel 14 is attached as by rivets 18 (Fig. 3) to shovel arm 18 pivoted on stud 11 fixed in frame member 18 removably mounted on frame 24 as by screws 18 (Fig. 1). Adjustabl collars 88 engaging opposite sides of shovel arm 18 are adjustably fixed to stud 11 by set screws 8|, permitting transverse adjustment of the position of the shovel 14 relative to the bottom of stack I8.

Appropriate mechanism is provided for oscillating shovel arm 18 about stud 11 in synchronism with the feeding mechanism. In the form shown shovel arm 18 is provided with an extension 82 (Figs. 1 and 3.) in which pivot stud 83 is journaled, said stud being mounted on link block 84, extension 82 being held on the stud by nut 88 threaded on stud 83 and engaging washer 88 bearing against a suitable shoulder on said stud.

One end of link rod 81 passes through a suitable bore in block 84 and is adjustably held in position by nuts 88 threaded on rod 81 and bearing against opposite sides of block 84. The other end of link rod 81 is pivoted to the forward end of bell crank 89 by means of bolt 88. Bell crank 88 is pivotally mounted on frame member 18 through pivot stud 8|, and upper arm 82 of said crank is provided with a roller 83 hearing against cam 84 on shaft 28. Coil spring 85 attached to depending crank arm 88 and to the frame 24 is suitably arranged to urge roller and cam 84 into engagement.

A suitable arrangement is provided for holding shovel 14 out of operative position during operation of the sheet feeding mechanism, this being desirable when the envelope blanks are small or when the material of the blanks is sufficiently thick to give them a fair degree of stiffness. In the embodiment disclosed, this arrangement comprises a hold-out disc 88 on rod 88 slidably mounted in frame member 18 and carrying knob I88. During normal operation of shovel 14, knob I88 rests against member 18 and holdout disc 98 is out of register with depending arm 88 of bell crank 88, advantageously overlapping said arm to prevent accidental movement of the disc which might inadvertently interfere with the operation of shovel 14. When it is desired to hold shovel 14 out of operation, the latter is manually raised until the projection I8I (Fig. l) on arm 92 clears the path of disc 98, whereupon disc 98 may be shifted into alignment with arm 82 by drawing knob I88 away from member 18, maintaining shovel 14 in inactive position by engagement between projection I8| and disc 88. Shovel 14 may be returned to operation at any time by pressing knob I88 inwardly against frame member 18.

The operation of the apparatus is indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 4 to 8. At the beginning of the cycle the stack retaining device 88 and shovel 14 are in upper position clear of stack I8 (Fig. 4) Suction picker I4 is swung forward by crank pin 21 until face -I6 bears against the bottom blank l3 immediately below the upper edge thereof. Suction is then applied through hose i9 and is eflfective through suction opening ll, of tube IE, to draw the upper margin of blank ll against the inclined face H of the suction picker (Fig. 5) while holding the main part of the blank l3 against deflection by means of face ii. The stack retaining device I! then moves downwardly, blade 38 approaching the upper margin of the second blank 13 at an angle owing to the inclined position of slide bar 3l relative to the said blank, thereby assuring engagement with the lower face of blank 13 despite any tendency of said blank to be deflected slightly owing to curling or any other cause. When the retaining 'device 38 has reached its lowermost position (Fig. 6) blade 38 will bear against the upper margin of the rear face of second blank II, and hold-down plate will bear against the upper margins oi adjacent sheets of the stack. thereby holding the upper corner or edge of the stack ll in accurate registered position and restraining the lowermost sheets of said stack against edgewise movement.

Suction picker H is then swung away from stack ll, separating from the second blank 13 the upper tree portion of the bottom blank I3 projecting beyond table I! (Fig. 7), and carrying said portion partly around feed roll 68, where its upper margin is grasped by the advance portions 01' feed segments I (Fig. 8). During this retrograde movement of the picker I l, shovel H is moved downwardly by the action of cam 94, descending along the rear face of second sheet 13 until the shovel reaches a position close to the upper margin of table I! not later than the stage when blank I! is gripped between segment I and rolls .8 and withdrawal of the lower portion of blank 13 from its position between blank l3 and table I! commences. During such withdrawal shovel 14 holds blank 11 flat against the stack and eilectively prevents buckling or endwise motion of said blank in the zone between table I! and device 38 in which buckling might otherwise take place. The advance edge of blank i3 is fed by segment and rolls N to any suitable conveying or processing mechanism, and in the illustrated construction travels over table 61 and between feed roll 69 and presser roll 7| onto belts OI.

While the end of the stack from which the sheets are withdrawn has been termed the bottom of the stack for convenience, of description,

this is not intended to be restrictive, since the invention is not necessarily limited to apparatus in which the sheets are fed from the lowermost end of the stack.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for fully supporting a stack of sheets, means for deflecting a marginal portion of the bottom sheet and withdrawing said sheet by engagement with said portion, and means independent of the supporting means and movable into engagement with the second sheet, after deflection of the bottom sheet but prior to withdrawal thereof, for preventing buckling of the second sheet during such withdrawal.

2. Sheet feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for preventing buckling of the second sheet comprises means engaging the margin of the second sheet adjacent the deflected portion of the bottom sheet, and separate means extending along the bottom face of the second sheet adjacent the center of the sheet.

- 3. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising meansfor fully supporting a stack of sheets including a bottomsupport extending only partly across the bottom of the stack, leaving a substantial portion of the bottom sheet free from said support; means for engaging said free portion of the bottom sheet and withdrawing said sheet from the stack; and means for preventing disarrangement of adjacent sheets by such withdrawal. comprising means independent of the supporting means and engaging the bottom face of the second sheet substantially to the opposite free edge of said second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet. arranged to prevent buckling of the tree portion of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet. a

4. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for fully supporting a stack 01' sheets including a bottom support extending only partly across the bottom of the stack leaving a substantial portion oi the bottom sheet free from said support; means engaging said i'ree portion of the bottom sheet and withdrawing said sheet from the stack, com- ,prising means for downwardly deflecting a margin 01' the free portion of the bottom-sheet and means engaging the deflected portion and withdrawing said sheet; and means for preventing disarrangement of adjacent sheets by such withdra-wal, comprising anti-buckling means independent of the supporting means and bearing against the bottom face of the second sheet substantially from the bottom site free edge of the second sheet, and means for shifting the anti-buckling means into operative position while the free position of the bottom sheet is in deflected position and prior to the commencement of withdrawal of said bottom sheet.

5; Sheet feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the anti-buckling means includes a flat sheet-engaging member movable into and out of operative position in a direction substantially parallel to the sheets in the stack.

6.'Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets with a marginal portion of the bottom free from the support, means for withdrawing the bottom sheet, and means for preventing buckling oi the second sheet during such withdrawal including a member movable along the bottom face of the second sheet into operative position extending substantially across the unsupported portion of said sheet, and means for shifting said member into operative position prior towithdraw-al of the bottom sheet and retracting said member after such withdrawal.

7. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets with a portion 01 the bottom of the stack free from such support, means for deflecting the free marginal por tion of; the. bottom sheet including a picker, rotary means engaging the deflected portion oi the bottom sheet and withdrawing the sheet from the stack, and reciprocating means engaging the bottomof the second sheet and extending substantially across the unsupported portion of the second sheet in position to prevent buckling during withdrawal of the bottom sheet.

8. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets, means for withfrom the bottom supportsupport to the oppodrawing the bottom sheet, and means for holding the second sheet against buckling during such withdrawal comprising a sheet-engaging member, means for moving said member into and out of operative position engaging the bottom of the second sheet, and means for rendering said moving means inoperative, independent of the operation of the sheet-withdrawing means.

9. Sheet feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 8, in which the sheet-engaging member is actuated by mechanism engaging a cam and is rendered inoperative by detent means maintaining said mechanism out of engagement with said cam.

10. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets, sh'eet feeding rotors adjacent the bottom of the stack, means for deflecting a marginal portion of the bottom sheet into engagement with said rotors, and reciprocating means for preventing derangement of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet by said rotors comprising second sheet retaining means movable into engagement with the bottom of the second sheet after deflection of the first sheet and extending between the second sheet and said rotors substantially across the entire unsupported portion of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet.

11. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising a support for a stack of sheets extending partly across the bottom of the stack leaving a marginal portion of the bottom sheet free from said support; means for withdrawing the bottom sheet from the stack by engagement with said free portion; and means for preventing buckling of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet, comprising a member movable into operative position bearing against the bottom face of the second sheet and extending across the buckling zone, and means for moving said member into and out of operative position, said member being stationary during withdrawal of the bottom sheet.

12. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising a support for a stack of sheets extending partly across the bottom of the stack leaving a marginal portion of the bottom sheet free from said support; means for withdrawing the bottom sheet from the stack by engagement with said free portion; and means for preventing buckling of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet, comprising a member movable into operative position bearing against the bottom face of the second sheet and extending across the buckling zone, and means for moving said member into and out of operative position, said member being moved to and from operative position in line wtih the direction of withdrawal of the bottom sheet.

l3. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising a support for a stack of sheets extending partly across the bottom of the stack leaving a marginal portion of the bottom sheet free fromv said support; means for withdrawing the bottom sheet from the stack by engagement with said free portion; and means for preventing buckling of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet,

comprising a member movable into operative position bearing against the bottom face of the second sheet and extending across the buckling zone, and means for moving said member into and out of operative position, said member extending across only a restricted portion of the second sheet in a direction transverse to the direction of withdrawal of the bottom sheet.

14. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising a support for a stack of sheets extendin partly across the bottom of the stack leaving a marginal pontion of the bottom sheet free from said support; means for withdrawing the bottom sheet from the stack by engagement with said free portion; and means for preventing buckling of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet,

comprising a member movable into operative po-' sition bearing against the bottom face of the second sheet and extending across the buckling zone, and means for moving said member in o and out of operative position, said member oozinprising a relatively long, narrow, flat blade mo ed into flatwise engagement with the second sheet.

15. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets, means for withdrawing the bottom sheet from said stack and means for preventing derangement of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet comprising a'pivoted arm engaging a free marginal portion of the bottom of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet, and means for oscillating the arm into operative position during withdrawal of the bottom sheet and out of register with the stack during initial engagement of the bottom sheet by the withdrawing means.

16. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets, means for withdrawing the bottom sheet from the stack, and means for preventing derangement of the second sheet during withdrawal of the bottom sheet including means movable into and out oi retaining engagement with a margin of the bottom of the second sheet and edges of adjacent sheets, means movable into and out of engagement with an unsupported portion of the bottom of the second sheet adjacent said margin for preventing buckling, and means including a common shaft for actuating both of saidmovable means.

17. Sheet feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 12 in which the withdrawal means includes rotary devices located adJacent the stack bottom and an actuating shaft for said devices extending parallel to said bottom and constituting the common actuating shaft for the movable means, the means for preventing buckling being located in operative position between the second sheet and said rotary devices;

18. An attachment for sheet feeding apparatus which includes a frame, means for supporting a stack of sheets, means for withdrawin the bottom sheet from the stack, means movable into and out of engagement with a bottom edge of the stack to retain the marginal portion of the lowermost sheet in position during withdrawal of the bottom sheet, and drive means for said apparatus, said attachment comprising a frame member arranged for mounting on the frame of the apparatus, a sheet-supporting member mounted on the frame member for movement into and out of enegagement with an unsupported portion of the bottom of the second sheet in position to prevent buckling of said portion during withdrawal of the bottom sheet, and means carried by said frame member for actuating said sheet-supporting member from said drive means.

ABRAHAM NOVICK.

CERTIFICATE F 'd i. Patent No. 2,515,6 6 April 6, 194,5.

BRAHAM NOVICK.

It is hereby cartifi-rzd that error appears in the printed specification oitho abm re numbered patont requiring correction as follows: Page 5, 300,- 0nd column, line 1+0, claim 14., for position second occurrenca, read "P 131051; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thoroin that the same may conform to'the recordof the case in the Pa-tont Qffi'so.

si ned and sealed this 18th day ofnay, A. n.- 191;,5. 

